John Legend’s Famous Chicken Tenders Are My New Favorite Dinner (They’re Packed with Flavor!)

Last year, during the holidays, I experimented with making John Legend’s baked mac and cheese — not only was it incredibly easy to prepare, but it also won over the family (they kept helping themselves to seconds). While searching for more recipes I stumbled upon his kid-friendly buttermilk chicken tenders. As a newly appointed aunty, I’ve been on the hunt for recipes I can perfect for my nephew. (I’ll admit, as I’m typing this, he’s only three days old, but still I’m preparing for when he’s ready to eat solids). Chrissy Teigen posted a tutorial of her husband frying up the tenders, and it’s racked up more than 400K views!

“I love frying chicken,” Legend shares. “It’s one of my favorite things.” He then proceeds to dunk the tenders in his wife’s irresistible-looking honey mustard ranch dipping sauce. I was immediately convinced. So when I had a free moment from taking care of my newborn nephew, I decided to give them a try to see if they’d be worthy of his lunch plate in a few years. Here’s how they turned out.

Get the recipe: John Legend’s Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

First, make the marinade by combining buttermilk, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and Lawry’s seasoning salt in a large bowl. Place prepared tenders into the marinade and refrigerate for a few hours. 

Once the tenders finish marinating, heat canola oil in a cast iron pan. While the oil warms up, make the breading by combining flour, baking powder, Lawry’s seasoning salt, cayenne pepper, and buttermilk in a bowl.

Next, use a fork to pick up the tenders and dip them into the breading mixture. Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and repeat the same step with all the chicken. 

When the oil is at temperature, put the tenders into the pan and cook until golden-brown or at an internal temperature of 165°F — about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to strain any grease before serving.

I’ll admit that, as a food writer and home cook with years of experience, I didn’t expect to learn anything new from Legend’s buttermilk chicken tender recipe — but I was wrong.

I really appreciated the simplicity of his seasoning mix for the buttermilk batter: garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and Lawry’s. It strikes a nice balance between subtly spicy and savory, without being overpowering. The touch of buttermilk in the breading gives it that flaky, paste-like texture, which really helps the tenders develop a crispy, textured crust with those perfect little crispy bits.

As for the taste, I completely get why he calls them kid-friendly. They’re packed with flavor, so anyone will enjoy them, but they’re not too spicy or salty, making them ideal for kiddos who may be on the pickier side. I’ll definitely be making these buttermilk chicken tenders again — for myself (they’d taste amazing in a Caesar salad wrap!) and, of course, for my nephew (once he’s old enough, of course).

• Use aromatics. To amplify the flavor of the chicken, add some garlic or shallots to the marinade. 
• Don’t rush the marinade process: To infuse these chicken tenders with as much flavor as possible, marinate them in the fridge for at least three hours. 
• Don’t overcrowd the pan when frying. To get the crispiest, most shattering coating, don’t add too many pieces of chicken to the oil at a time. Give the tenders space so that they can cook evenly. 
• Finish them with more seasoning. Once the crispy tenders come out of the oil, sprinkle on a pinch of sea salt, Lawry’s, or spicy paprika to kick up their flavor even more.

Get the recipe: John Legend’s Buttermilk Chicken Tenders

This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: John Legend’s Famous Chicken Tenders Are My New Favorite Dinner (They’re Packed with Flavor!)